Florida house passes bill establishing Florida Slavery Memorial

Today, Historic City News received statements from Speaker Richard Corcoran and Minority Leader-designate Kionne McGhee after passage of HB- 67 to establish the Florida Slavery Memorial, which recognizes the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the United States.

Speaker Corcoran said, “I want to personally thank Representative McGhee for all of his hard work on this very important bill. This memorial is long overdue. Slavery was not only wrong, sinful, cruel and evil – it was an inexcusable abuse of individuals created in the image and likeness of Almighty God. So as we move forward we look back and remember those whose lives unfortunately were not their own, but whose souls yearned to be free. And we resolve together to build a better future and to live better lives in their memory.”

Representative McGhee concluded by saying, “I’d like to thank each and every member of the Florida House of Representatives for their continued support of this bill. This bill sends a signal to the entire country that Florida is willing to take a step in the right direction. This memorial is more than stone and more than a symbol. It is a reminder of where we came from and a guardian directing us where to go.”

The bill establishes the Florida Slavery Memorial, which is to be administered by the Department of Management Services (DMS). The bill requires DMS to develop a plan for the design, placement, and cost of the memorial, which must include the designation of an appropriate public area for the memorial on the premises of the Capitol Complex. Additionally, DMS must submit the plan to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.